Jareth o lantern
by Celecia Leigh
Summary: COMPLETE.  What does a jack o lantern, goblins, and some unfinished business have in common?  Read on to find out.  J/S  The voted for Halloween story.
1. Chapter 1

Well I posted a poll on my profile page seeing if anyone wanted me to write a Halloween story. Well 75% of those who voted said yes. So here it is. Don't be getting any ideas that this will be anything like last year's story. I will not be writing a 13 chapter story. This one is going to be short and sweet.

So enjoy.

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**Chapter 1**

Young Toby Williams sat on the front porch of his home as the sun was setting. Toby sighed. It was Halloween, but it wasn't going to be happy, at least for him and every other kid in town. All the adults had decided that Halloween was too dangerous or scary or not very good. So there were no decorations on houses, no jack o lanterns lighting up the night. And of course no kids trick or treating. It looked like any other autumn night. Toby maybe young but he knew it had been his mother had been the one who got rid of the holiday.

He couldn't understand how anyone could hate one of his favorite days of the year. At least Sarah was going to be babysitting since his parents were leaving. Hopefully Sarah would make it great.

XOXOX

Sarah Williams stood by the front door of her former home as her stepmother went over the rules. Sarah knew all this already, but Irene had some new rules.

"He is not to have any candy. Also he is not to watch anything that has to do with Hell's Day."

Of course Sarah knew what she was talking about. Irene had always hated Halloween and now that she had some power in town she had gotten rid of it and had ruined every kids life. Of course, having the goblins scare her one year hadn't helped matters.

Once her father and Irene were out of the house and gone, Sarah leaned against the doorframe looking at Toby.

Toby turned and looked at her. "Are you going to follow the rules?"

Sarah smiled. "When have I. Now come on. We have maybe an hour before they're supposed to get here. Then we'll have our annual Halloween party."

Toby jumped up and went running to the house. Sarah moved and closed the door. She would make it where Toby would have a great Halloween. Even if Irene had it outlawed outside. There would be celebrating in the house tonight.

XOXOX

Deep in the Underground, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo, and group of the other citizens of the Labyrinth were gathering. Soon they would all go and have a party with Sarah and Toby. They had to hide the fact, since well the King wasn't too happy.

He hadn't been the same since Sarah had come to the Labyrinth. Now he was darker. Jareth was crueler to his subject more now. Especially if he heard that they had talked with Sarah. No one could even mention her name without being bogged.

No one what had happened between the two of them at the end, but all knew that something had and that the King was still angry about it.

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Well there you go. I'll try to update Chapter 2 soon.

So review please.


	2. Chapter 2

Well here is the second chapter. There is only one more chapter. Sorry folks that's all. Then I'll go back to working on _Persephone_. I do have a new idea in the works. So visit my profile to see my new story plan. I'll have it up around the time I upload this chapter.

Thanks for the reviews.

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**Chapter 2**

Jareth lounged on his throne. The room was mostly filled with chickens, but he didn't care. No goblins meant it would be a quiet night. He needed it. He had dreamed of her again. Damn. The girl, no woman, would not go away. Seven years and she still haunted him.

Oh, he could have watched her with his crystals, but something had always stopped him. Sarah. A name he had refused to say. He had made it so no one could say it. Oh, he knew some of his subjects went to visit her on All Hollow's Eve and a few other times each year. Tonight just happen to be All Hollow's Eve.

So he would be alone. Alone. He didn't want to be. He would have loved to go visit her. There had been times when he had wondered over what changes had come for her.

He could go watch the party or he could remain with the chickens. See Sarah or watch chickens peak at the floor. Watch his subjects run amuck or have a quiet night at the castle. Watch Sarah as she and his subjects have fun (without him) or spend the night watching his kingdom from his bedchamber window. Have a loud night or a nice relaxing night. Have the reality or have a dream.

Jareth sighed. There were good reasons for both. Of course there was also the small chance that if he went someone would spot him and recognize him. Then what could he do. Of course he could just stay home. He glanced around the throne room. For the last seven years, he had used this night to vent his anger at his subjects. Well, when they returned. How dare they go and see her, when he had forbidden it, but of course he was more upset over the fact that they had seen her while he hadn't.

He really didn't want to spend another year without seeing her, but he refused to give in. There was no way he would go see her, not after what she had done. Jareth once again looked around his throne room. But did he really want to spend another year with the chickens? Yes they were quieter than the goblins, but they made about the same mess.

Jareth flicked his wrist and transported himself to his bedchamber. He stood beside the window. What was going on at Sarah's? What was she doing for his subjects? Why did they go every year to see her? Jareth glanced out the window. Seven years. Had she even thought of him in seven years?

Jareth knew he had a choice to make. Would he do as he had for the last seven years or would he do, as he had really always wanted to? He stood beside the window thinking it over.

XOXOX

Sarah smiled as a group of goblins carried the pumpkin from her car. Now Irene hadn't gotten rid of pumpkins. Sarah knew for a fact that a lot of people in town had gotten pumpkins to make jack o lanterns. She knew that they were making them and keeping them inside. Also she knew of parties families were having and allowing the kids to still dress up. So there was still Halloween, but it just wasn't out in the open.

The goblins brought the large pumpkin into the kitchen and place it on the newspaper-covered table. Then the rest of the goblins, the other citizens of the Labyrinth, her friends, and Toby came in. Toby had a huge grin on his face.

"I knew you would have one, Sarah."

Sarah held the knife in her hand. "Of course I would. You can't have Halloween with out a Jack o lantern."

She placed the knife on the table. "Do you know the legend of the Jack o lantern?"

She got a ring of no's and shaking of heads. Sarah smiled. "Well, after I carve our little friend, why don't I tell you all the legend? Everyone find a seat."

So everyone found a seat besides Sarah. They all looked at her as she craved the already cleaned out pumpkin. She gave it a typical face and placed a candle inside. She then turned out the lights and lit a few more candles she had brought, she wouldn't use Irene's, then the woman would know that Sarah was celebrating the holiday. Once all the candles were lit, Sarah returned to the stand next to the table by the pumpkin.

"Once in Ireland, there was a man named Jack. Now Jack was no a nice man. He drank too much and was mean to his family and friends."

"Sounds like the king." One goblin piped up.

Sarah looked at him. "Maybe, but let me finish." Sarah picked up a candle. One All Hollow's Eve, he got very drunk, so drunk that he was dying. When the devil came to take his soul, Jack wasn't eager to die. He asked for one more drink before he died, the Devil agreed. Jack then told him he had no more money. So he asked if the Devil would take the form of a coin so he could get it. So the Devil did as he asked. Jack took out his wallet, which had a cross on it. He placed the coin Devil into his wallet. The Devil was angry and asked to be released. So Jack asked for a year before the Devil would come claim his soul. Devil agreed. So Jack released him."

"Seems to me this Jack was wise, but not a knight." Sir Didymus nodded from his chair.

"Yes, but that's not the end of the story." Sarah placed the candle back on the table. "So at first Jack tried to be good to his family and friends, but he soon went back to his evil ways. So when his year came to an end, the Devil once more appeared to him. He demanded that Jack accompany him to hell. Well Jack was still as cleaver. He pointed to a near by apple tree. He convinced the Devil to get him an apple from the tree. As the Devil went into the tree to get the apple, Jack craved a cross on the trunk of the tree. The Devil angry at being captured again offered Jack ten years, but Jack refused and demanded that the Devil never bother him again. The Devil agreed. So Jack released him." Sarah placed her hands on the pumpkin, as no one could see the face or had seen it yet. "Almost a year later, Jack's body could no longer go on with his evil ways, and gave out. Now dead, Jack went to heaven, but was refused because of his evil ways. He then went to Hell, but the Devil would not allow him to enter. The Devil threw a piece of burning coal at him and told him to use it to light his way. So Jack took the coal and craved out a turnip. He placed the coal inside. On All Hollow's Eve, which is tonight, you might see Jack with his lantern." She turned the face of the Jack o lantern to her audience.

They owed and awed at the face on the pumpkin. It was funny in that Sarah had been doing this for seven years, but this was the first year for the Jack o lantern story. She told them a new legend every year and it seemed that they liked it. She smiled as she walked over to the counter.

"Now who wants a cupcake?" She was greeted with a round of mememes. "I have enough for everyone to have one." She handed everyone a cupcake and a napkin. "Remember don't give any to Ambrosias."

"Of course not, M'lady. I remember." Sir Didymus looked at his little cupcake.

After everyone had their cupcakes, and were eating them. Sarah looked at the two left in the container. One was for her as always, but the other was for well, he never came, but she always had one for him if he did. Sarah smiled.

"When you're finished go into the living room, I have something we can watch."

The creatures of the Labyrinth did as they were told, but Toby remained behind. He walked over to his sister. "Sarah, what is it?"

"It's a movie, Toby. She won't know about it. Besides you've seen it before."

"Oh. Ok."

Toby raced after the goblins to get a good seat. Sarah smiled as she cleaned up the mess from the cupcakes. She placed the trash in one of the bag she had brought. Irene wouldn't know if Sarah took all the trash home with her. After being sure that everything was as cleaning and it needed to be, She followed everyone else into the living room. Not noticing that she was being watched from outside by a white barn owl.

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Well there is chapter 2. Now I hope you all enjoyed that. I finished today after I had gotten sick three times and had a slight headache. So please review. You all asked for it. I hope you all like the funny parts as well as learning the Legend of the Jack o lantern. That is the real myth people. I didn't make it up. I did try to make it like something one would read to a seven year old.

So review. You know that it makes up for the fact I don't have candy.

So please leave a piece of candy in my candy pail.


	3. Chapter 3

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. Now here is the last one. I know that you would like it to be longer, but this is all I can give you. I have to get back to working on _Persephone_. I have to finish it before I can start on Twitter Me This. Ok, it is a working title, but you should get the idea from the idea on my profile. Also are you guys following me on Twitter? I do update tweet about me, but I also tweet about the stories so if you follow you can know what's going on.

Any who, thanks for the reviews. Of course we all know whom the owl is don't we.

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**Chapter 3**

Sarah smiled as Toby and the others became even more drawn into the movie. It did sort of help that as she started the movie a storm had started. She knew it was safe for Toby. He had seen it last year when he had stayed with her. Sarah glanced at the screen. Who didn't love the 1932 "The Mummy"? Sarah loved the old horror movies. They were safe for kids of Toby's age to watch, but they had so many different meanings behind them. It was getting near the end. Sarah gently moved a goblin, who had fallen asleep, off of her, and went into the front entry. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Soon she would have to get Toby up to bed and send the Labyrinth creatures home.

Sarah sighed. The night was almost over. As soon as his parents got back, she would have to go home. Well it wasn't really home. It was just where she lived. She hadn't felt like she was home for seven years. Even since that night, but she wasn't going to dwell on it. Sarah walked into the kitchen. The candles had already been blown out, she had done that before she had left to go watch the movie. So as she entered the kitchen, Sarah reached her hand towards the light switch. She flicked into the on position, but nothing happened. She knew the power wasn't out as she could still hear the movie. Could the breaker have gone off?

A bolt of lightening filled the room. Sarah thought she saw something near the window. She shook her head. She grabbed a candle near the door and lit it. She walked to the table and placed the candle beside the Jack o lantern. She then began to gather her things. She would have to take the bags of trash and the jack o lantern out to her car before Toby's parents got home. So she grabbed hold of the trash bags and headed out to the back door. She flipped the light switch and the outside light came one. Then she blew out the candle. Quickly she made the way to her car and threw the bags in the back seat. As Sarah reentered the kitchen, she thought she heard a sound coming from the window. She shook her head and head back to the living room.

She smiled at the sight before her. Almost everyone was asleep. The movie was over. She walked to the VCR and stopped the movie. She hit eject and placed the movie back into the case and as she turned the light on, Sarah tossed it into her bag. She then began to wake everyone up, saving Toby for last. Toby and her waved good-bye as the creatures all went home.

Toby went upstairs to his room. Sarah finished cleaning up as he changed into his pjs. Sarah took one more look around to be sure that she had everything. Then she made another trip to the car. The last thing she would take to her car was the jack o lantern.

Sarah made her way upstairs. Toby was sitting on the window seat looking out at the old tree.

"Toby, what is it?"

Toby turned to look at her. "There's a white barn owl in the tree. He's watching me."

Sarah walked over and stood behind him. "I don't see anything."

"But he was there."

"Come on you need to get to sleep. You don't want me to get in trouble with your mom, do you?"

Toby reluctantly went back to his bed. Sarah tucked him in. "Do you need a story or you fine?"

"A story please, Sarah. Mom or Dad won't tell me any."

"Oh, all right. What do you want me to tell you?"

"The story about the girl in the Labyrinth."

"Again. I tell it to you every year."

"But it's my favorite. I tried to ask Hoggle if it was real, but he wouldn't answer me."

Sarah nodded. Of course he wouldn't tell him. "Toby, why don't I tell you a new story?"

Toby crossed his arms over his chest. "Please, Sarah."

Sarah sighed. "Oh, all right. Once upon a time…."

Sarah smiled as she gently closed the bedroom door to a sleeping Toby. She quietly made her way down stairs. She was about to enter the kitchen when she stood in the doorway. The Jack o lantern was not on the table. It was on the counter. But how? She walked over to the counter. All the goblins had left, she had counted to be sure. Then who did it? Then she remembered the white barn owl.

"It can't be." She walked over to the window and looked out at the old tree. Just as Toby had said was a white barn owl. It wall watching her. Sarah looked at it and then slowly backed away. That was the same owl from seven years ago, the one that had transformed into the Goblin King. Sarah didn't know how to react. She knew he hadn't come before.

Slowly she walked towards the window. Sarah opened it and placed one of the two cupcakes on the windowsill. "It's yours if you want it."

She turned back and closed the case with the last cupcake. She then put the case inside the Jack o lantern. Sarah opened the back door and took her last bunch of stuff out to her car. She didn't even look to see if he was still in the tree, while she was outside. Quickly she got back in. She glanced at the window; the cupcake was still there.

She walked back to the front entry and made sure she had everything in her bag. Then she heard a crash come from the kitchen, with a lot of cursing. Slowly she made her way back to the kitchen. She looked around the corner.

There standing by the sink, was the Goblin King. He had apparently gotten caught on something. She couldn't see what it was. He was trying to get lose and not lose the hold on his cupcake. Slowly she came into the doorway.

"Need some help."

XOXOX

Jareth stopped struggling to free himself from what ever had him and looked at the doorway. He almost gasped, but caught himself. After seven years, well he still couldn't believe that Sarah was standing in front of him.

"It would be appreciated."

She came over to him. Gods, did she smell wonderful. She found what held him and quickly got rid of it.

"There you're free now."

He straightened himself up. "Thank you."

"Well it seems finally you got your cupcake."

He looked at the tiny cupcake in his hand. "What do you mean?"

"I've left one for you every year, but you never came and got it?"

He looked from the cake to her. "Really?"

"You were always invited, but I don't think you knew."

He had been invited. Why hadn't anyone told him? Whom ever it was to tell was going to pay tomorrow.

"Of course that's what I get for telling it to a goblin. I don't think they remember."

A goblin of course. They barely remember anything. He glanced at the doorway. "Well I believe I should be leaving."

"Wait."

He turned back towards Sarah.

"I have a question."

"Yes." Please be about the one thing he wanted it to be.

"What exactly did you mean by "fear me, love me and I will be your slave?"

"What do you think it meant?"

"Jareth, just tell me. Do you love me?"

Well he could go another seven years or an eternity without her, or he could tell her everything. Now was the point of no return.

"Yes."

He noticed she blinked her eyes. "So you never wanted Toby?"

"No, I did it only because you asked me to."

"So the dream and the stuff at the end was to get me to what?"

"To choose me. I would have sent him back if you had chosen to stay."

"I was fifteen years old, Jareth. I barely knew what love was. Think about it I haven't had it in my life. My mother left and then my father married that horrible woman. So don't expect me to realize love."

Jareth hung his head. "Well, I thought if I gave you what you wanted then…"

"Then what? If you had talked to me instead of oh, sending the cleaners after me or having Hoggle give me a drugged peach, then I would know."

"You did. You yourself said, "and what no one knew what that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl."

"I thought I made it up."

Jareth sighed. "Well you didn't."

"So why didn't you come to my Halloween parties?"

"I told you, I thought I wasn't invited."

"But this year I gave the invite to Hoggle."

Jareth thought back to about to the beginning of the month with the dwarf had shown up. He had said her name and that was all. Now he knew the dwarf was only trying to tell him that Sarah wanted him to come.

"I'm sorry. I punished him for nothing. I made it a against the law to say your name in my presents."

"So that's why Hoggle didn't answer me when I asked him did you get it or not. But why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't want to be reminded of you everyday."

"I think you did that on your own. I think you were reminded of me even if you didn't want to be."

Gods, was she good. She knew things that he didn't want to admit.

"I better be going." He turned towards the window.

"NO, wait. Jareth, please could you make it where they won't get home for a may be another half hour."

"Yes, but why?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Jareth, you have made me wait seven years. So you can give me thirty minutes."

Made her wait. She had made him wait. "Very well." He flicked his wrested and a crystal appeared. He then allowed it to fall slowly to the ground. "You have half an hour."

"That's all I need at least for now."

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Well, that's all. Since typed this is 5 pages long, I've decided to end it here. Since I've done that. There is another chapter. I'll try to get it up tomorrow. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

So review please.

Sorry, Sarah, I just had to update it. The next chapter will be worth it. I hope.


	4. Chapter 4

Well here is chapter 4. I stayed up till 4 am the day I uploaded Chapter 3 working on it. I barely got enough sleep. And I had a lot do. But here it is. I then spent an hour or so typing it up, well what I had so far. So enjoy.

Thanks for the reviews.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Sarah led Jareth into the living room. She sat on one end of the sofa and he on the other. They sat quiet for a few moments. Then Jareth turned towards her.

"What do we need to talk about?"

"I want to know why you sent the cleaners on me."

"You weren't in any real danger, but I did it because of what you said."

"All because I said "it's a piece of cake?" You need some serious help."

"I didn't want it to be a piece of cake. I wanted it to be a challenge."

Sarah turned and placed her back against the arm of the sofa. "It was for the most part. So what about the guards at the doors?

"It didn't matter which door you opened, it would have opened to the same place. The same with the other ones."

"So why have more than one door?"

"It allowed you to make a choice. It was more fun when you had to make a choice."

"No when it can lead to certain death."

"Well maybe I should have had them say something else."

"Yeah, may be you should have."

Sarah glanced at the black TV. "Why did it take you so long to come here?"

Jareth sighed. "I didn't know how you would react."

"Well don't you think a letter would have been a good place to start?"

"Maybe."

Sarah sighed. "How much longer?"

"Fifteen minutes."

Sarah nodded. "You could have tried something. Of course if you came here after I graduated, you wouldn't have found me."

"What do you mean?"

"As soon as I graduated high school, Irene kicked me out. I had to get an apartment. I can't go to school and make enough to cover the rent so I haven't been able to go to school."

"So you weren't able to complete your education?"

"Yeap. I work at the local bookstore. They pay me as much as they can. I do so much. At least I have a roof over my head and I'm close to Toby."

"If you had called, I would have helped."

"Well see I didn't know that. My life's not great, but it has its moments."

"Sarah, why did you want me to stay?"

"Well it's better to have a conversation with someone if they are really there, isn't?"

"Well yes."

"So I decided to have it for real and not just my head."

"Why would you?"

Sarah leaned forward, placing her hands on the cushions. "Because I always wondered." She began to crawl towards him.

Jareth swallowed. "About what?"

Sarah stopped beside him. "What if everyone knew the girl had fallen in love with the King of the Goblins?"

Jareth stared in shock as Sarah kissed him. Sarah pulled back when he didn't do anything.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Jareth swallowed. "No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Are you absolutely sure, Sarah?

"Of course, I am."

Jareth grabbed Sarah by the shoulders and pulled her towards him, crushing his lips to hers. Sarah had no idea how long they were on the sofa making out, but she had a very good feeling he had reordered time at least once.

Finally after Sarah had no idea how long, they pulled away from each other.

"What time is it?"

"You still have thirty minutes until they return."

"Oh."

Jareth smirked. "Now we have to decide on where to go from here?"

"Yeah, I guess we do."

Sarah sat on the sofa. She glanced out into the hall. "So where do we start?"

"Well do you really want to stay here?"

"You in the house or this world?"

"This world, of course."

"Well, I can't leave Toby."

"It's always Toby." He stood up and began to pace in front of her. "You always pick him over me."

"Wait a minute. You don't understand. Irene makes his life horrible. I'm the only thing between him and her."

"So you have never stopped saving him it seems."

"Yeah, it seems I am."

Jareth sighed. "We could take him with us."

"What would happen if we did?"

"I would make it where neither of you were remembered here. It would be like you never existed."

"Really?"

"Yes, but of course everyone in the Labyrinth will know you and you won't be so alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well considering how often your friends come to visit you, I think they are all you have except for Toby."

"Even if that's true, I still need to think about it. It's still a big decision."

"Yes it is."

Sarah sighed. "So how long are you willing to give me?"

Jareth sighed. "I'll give you twenty four hours or until you call me." He glanced into the hall. "I've better go as it seems they have returned."

Sarah watched as Jareth slowly disappeared. She heard the front door open. So she went to deal with Irene.

XOXOX

Jareth sat at the edge of his bed. It had only been six human world hours. So it was six am. She still had ¾ of a day to go, but he wished she would hurry up and make up her mind.

Of course he figured that she had gotten some sleep doing the last six hours, he had. But he wanted an answer now. He didn't want to spend another night alone. Jareth sighed. Well he need to dress and wait. That's all he could do.

Jareth glanced at the clock inside the throne room. It had almost been twelve hours and no word from Sarah. Sighing, he glanced at his subjects, who it seemed were still tired from the party. Most were asleep.

"Jareth, I need you."

Jareth created a crystal and disappeared. He reappeared in a horrible little space. It was barely enough room for a sofa, but something told him this was where Sarah lived. He turned towards what he had to assume was her bed.

"Have you made your choice?"

She raised her head from a pillow she was hugging. Tears fell from her eyes. "She won't let me see Toby."

"Who? I don't understand."

Sarah wiped her eyes. "I always come and take him away on Saturday, just so Irene can go to her committees and what not. Well, when I showed up today she wouldn't let me in the house. She kept going on about me letting Toby stay up too late and something else."

"What?"

"I don't know. She won't let me see him. I can't even get through on the phone. She has me blocked."

Jareth sat beside her on the bed. "Sarah."

"Jareth, we can't stay here. Would you take us, but give you and me some time?"

"I was going to give you all the time you needed, Sarah."

"So what do I do?"

"Just wish yourself and Toby away."

"Like I did before?"

"No, say were in the Labyrinth."

"K." Sarah snuffled. "I wish Toby and me were in the Labyrinth."

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Well there you go. That's all folks. Well this one ended up being maybe 4 ¼ pages. So almost as long as the last chapter.

So review for the last time. If you're new, then please go read _Persephone_. Which will be updated soon as now I have finished this story.


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